Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has ordered the mandatory evacuation of Savannah and other coastal areas as Hurricane Irma heads to Florida before possibly turning to the east coast of the U.S.

The mandatory evacuation order covers all areas east of I-95, all of Chatham County, where Savannah is located, and some areas west of I-95 that could be impacted by potential storm surge from Irma. The mandatory evacuation order goes into effect on Saturday.

The center of Irma, a powerful Category 5 hurricane, was moving north of the Dominican Republic on Thursday as it heads to Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. The storm could then head to Florida, where hurricane watches have now been issued for parts of the state. As of 10 a.m. CDT Thursday, the eye of Hurricane Irma was located about 120 miles southeast of Grand Turk Island and was moving west-northwest at 16 mph with winds of 175 mph.

Deal said all eastbound ramps of I-16 will close at 8 a.m. Saturday and only westbound traffic will be allowed.

State officials said they are actively monitoring the storm and urging residents to begin making necessary precautions and preparations ahead of Irma.

"Though it's too soon to tell just how Hurricane Irma will impact Georgia, we are urging everyone to take steps to prepare now," said GEMA/HS Director Homer Bryson.

Irma is expected to hit Savannah, Georgia Monday evening before continuing to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina as a Category 3 storm.

Officials are also watching Hurricane Jose. With winds of 90 mph on Thursday, Jose is located about 715 miles east of the Lesser Antilles as of the 10 a.m. CDT advisory and was headed west-northwest at 18 mph.

Universities close

Students at coastal colleges in Georgia have begun evacuating ahead of a potential Irma landfall.

The College of Coastal Georgia is requiring all students to evacuate its Brunswick campus no later than 6 p.m. today. The Office of Residence Life and Housing is working with residential students who need assistance to relocate them to another institution in the University System of Georgia.

The school will remain closed until Tuesday.

Savannah State University has also cancelled classes through Tuesday and evacuations are underway.

Georgia Southern University's Statesboro campus will close Friday and remain closed until Tuesday. The university moved its football game against the University of New Hampshire - scheduled to be played in Statesboro - to Birmingham's Legion Field. Admission to the game is free.

The Savannah College of Art and Design is closing Friday. The school's on-campus students will be relocated to its Atlanta campus.

South Carolina and North Carolina brace for storms

South Carolina and North Carolina have also declared states of emergencies as the latest track shows Irma could be heading up the east coast. Irma, which could be a tropical storm by the time it reaches North Carolina, could still cause damage from high winds and heavy rains, local officials said.

The declarations authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mobilize and provide resources, including federal funding for recovery efforts.